Non-sinkable bucket



Feb. z3, 1965 c. A. WINSLOW 3,170,589

NON-SINKABLE BUCKET Filed Dec. 3, 1962 FIC-5.3.

FIGA. 8

mvmran United States Patent O 3,170,589 NoN-SINKABLE BUCKET Filed Dee.3, 1962, Ser. No. 241,714 Claims. (Cl. 22h- 66) The present inventionrelates to an unsinkable bucket and method of manufacture for same. Theprincipal advantage of the invention is that it cannot be lost by eitherbeing accidently or otherwise dropped overboard from a boat, dock, etc.,where it may be used for the purpose of hauling water aboard, washingdown etc. It is a well known fact that a great number of buckets arelost, either accidently dropped overboard or by losing the hand line towhich the bucket is ordinarily attached.. When a bucket is manufacturedas hereinafter specified, the bucket will not sink regardless of whichmaterial a bucket is normally manufactured from. In other words, a metalbucket will not sink any more than a plastic bucket for the reason, whenthe bucket I is dropped overboard, regardless of the position in whichit may land on the water it will roll over and go bail, or upper enddown, thus trapping air in the bucket which causes it to float bottom upwith several inches of the bucket floating above the water level.

Another important advantage of the bucket is, that it can be veryeconomically manufacturedwith a double bottom thus providing an airspace between two bottom f surfaces and comprising a :sink proof bucketwith very little additional manufacturing cost.

Another important Vadvantage of the invention is that a rubber orplastic cap can be snapped over the bottom of a conventional bucket thusproviding the advantage of a sink proof bucket, as called for in thespecification and claims.

Another advantage of the present invention is that a hollow rubber orStyrofoam form etc., can be attached on either side of the bottom vof aconventional bucket thus providing the advantage of a sink proof bucket'as hereinafter shown and described on the drawings and specifications.

Another important advantage of the present invention is that the bucketcan be manufactured to incorporate the features called for in the claimsand specifications, or that iioat means of rubber, Styrofoam, plastic,etc. can be attached to the bottom of the bucket either on the inside orthe outside and comprise an unsinkable feature of the present invention,that is, an unsinkable bucket.

Another important object and feature of the present invention is theprovision of an improvement in buckets generally and whereby the bucketcan be tossed overboard accidently or otherwise and not lost by sinking,as the float means attached to the bucket bottom simply causes it to'roll lover trapping air within itself and it therefore oats above thesurface of the water, supported by the air within the bucket.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as thespecification, description and claims are understood.

It is to be understood that the preferred method of manufacture of thebucket would be as follows:

Referring to the drawing,

FIG. l indicates the top view of an improved bucket with a double bottomas called for in the specifications.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 1 1 of FIG. 1, looking inthe direction indicated by the arrows and illustrates the outline of abucket with a double bottom comprising an air chamber A, it is otherwiseof conventional construction.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a bucket comprising the invention byincorporating an air space A in its bot- 3,179,589 Patented Feb. 23,1965 ice . 2 v tom. The sectional view isv'also taken on the line 1--1of FIG. 1, but shown in a vertical bottom up position,

indicating a nal floating position when the bucket is e tossed overboardand comes to rest-in a bottom up position with air trapped within thebucket which causes the bucket to rotate and float on the line 3-'-3bottom up with the bottom well above the water level.

FIG. 4 indicates a partial sectional view of a bucket with a doublebottom. The double bottom being formed by snapping a rubber or plasticcap etc., over the bottom of the 4bucket thus forming an air spacebetween the bottom of the bucket and the cap member.

FIG. 5 indicates a sectional View of aconventional bucket to the bottomof which, is attached a Styrofoam float member. Thus it is to beunderstood that the Styrofoam is glued to the bottom of the bucket andfirmly attached thereto, `to prevent loss of the Styrofoam float memberwhen the bucket is in use.

It is also to beunderstood that the Styrofoam form can be any preferredshape and can be attached to either fthe inside or the outside surfaceof the bottom of the bucket.

FIG. 6 indicates a partial sectional view of a conventional bucket tothe bottom of which, is attached-a hollow float member. The float meanscan be attached on either side of the bucket bottom.

Referring to FIG. 1, assuming that in normal operation .the bucket isused aboard a yacht or small boat etc. and is normally provided with alanyard or hand line, shown attached to the bail 16 and designated bythe numeral 17.

It is to be understood that when the bucket is thus tossed overboard bythe attached lanyard, the bucket will land on its side and normally sinkto a position indicated by the line 18-18. Since the conventional bail 16 and larger end of the bucket has .no support it immediately sinks downby tipping over to the broken line indicated at 19, thus trapping aconsiderable amount of air in the bucket as indicated at 20. As thebucket rolls over still more to the broken line indicated at 21, theupper edge ofthe bucket 23 cuts 0E air escape at the water line 18 andthus seals olf the air trapped in the bucket.

Referring to FIG. 3, the bucket continues to roll over `to a completevertical position as shown in FIG. 3. The bucket normally floats at line3 3 because the air trapped in thel space 4 supports the bucket wellabove the surface of the water.

It is to be understood that this bucket as shown and described, underany circumstances will always trap suiicient a-ir within itself to floatwell above the surface of the water, due to the novel construction andfloating arrangements provided by the invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, a partial sectional view, 5 indicates a rubber capsnapped over the bottom of the bucket thus trapping air between thebottom 7 and the rubber diaphragm bottom 8 providing an air chamber 6.In op eration the bucket will perform the same as the bucket in FIGS. 1,2, 3 but with the further advantage that the bucket has a soft bottomand when dropped on deck of a boat, ship, etc., it will not mar the deckand provides a cushion as Well as an air chamber 6 in the bottom of thebucket.

In FIG. 5 the bucket 9 has a bottom 10 with a styrofoam lioat 11attached to the bottom of the bucket and in operation the performance isthe same as the bucketi as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4.

In FIG. 6, 12 indicates a bucket shown in partial secl tion with ahollow rubber or plastic oat member attached to the bottom. Theperformance of this bucket arrangement is the same as the bucketpreviously described in the operation of the bucket shown in FIGS 1, 2,3, 4, 5, etc.

e e Y A i d Y It is to be understood that Various modications may Lbe-rnade in the `size and form of Vthe bucketV and/or the oat meansattached in the bottom ofthe bucket most portion and a Weight in theform of a bail attached to its uppermost portion which causes saidbucket to turn upsidedown Whensaid bucket is dropped into Water or otherhuid.

c 21A non-sinkable bucket comprising a relatively heavy bail attached toits rim and a relatively lightfloat means v attached or formed in thebottom of said non-sinkabler bucket to cause said bucket to rotateAbottom up when dropped overboard into water.

` 3. Anon-sinkable bucket including aroat means at-V tached to thebottom of said bucket, said bucket also including a weight in the formofabail attached to its upper rim adapted to be capable of causing saidbucket to Vrotate bottom up when dropped overboard.v

4.- A bucket comprising angenerally tapered ,Circular metal, formincluding walls, a first bucket bottom attached to the smaller end ofsaid Walls, a baillattached to the larger end ofjsaid tapered vwalls, asecond bottom attached to said rstbottom; said combination comprising anon-sinkable'bucket With an air chamber in itsV bottom, a bail onits'rim and being kbalanced to rotate bottom up when floated. o Y

5. A non-sinkable bucket. comprising a generally partial conical formincluding taperedrwalls, la rst bottom attached to thekbottom of saidtapered Walls, a second bottom attached to said irst bottom and a bailattached to the upper open end ofsaid tapered walls. f Y

ReerencesCted theExaminer Y UNTED STATES PATENTS.;

' THERON E. CONDO,4 Primary Examiner.

4. A BUCKET COMPRISING A GENERALLY TAPERED CIRCULAR METAL FORM INCLUDINGWALLS, A FIRST BUCKET BOTTOM ATTACHED TO THE SMALLER END OF SAID WALLS,A BAIL ATTACHED TO THE LARGER END OF SAID TAPERED WALLS, A SECOND BOTTOMATTACHED TO SAID FIRST BOTTOM, SAID COMBINATION COMPRISING ANON-SINKABLE BUCKET WITH AN AIR CHAMBER IN ITS BOTTOM, A BAIL ON ITS RIMAND BEING BALANCED TO ROTATE BOTTOM UP WHEN FLOATED.